To the editor:

“Pardon the January 6 rioters.

This will signal the end of democracy in America, since it will end the Rule of Law… Where the law bends to the whim of the Strong Man, who himself is above the law, (says the Supreme Court),  there is no Rule of Law. And where there is no Rule of Law, there is no democracy.”

 That prediction in my campaign ad last fall has now become real.

 Among the ways our new president violated his oath of office to defend the Constitution and uphold the law almost as soon as he uttered it — attacking  birthright citizenship (14th Amendment), keeping TikTok open (law said close it) —  the most far-reaching is his contempt for the Rule of Law shown by pardoning the Jan. 6 criminals. We all witnessed their violent attacks on police. They had plead guilty or been convicted by juries with due process. The pardons were a clear signal to the armed gangs — they are not “militias” any more than armed city street gangs are “militias” — that violent attacks on his opponents and their families will bring no consequences since crimes committed on his behalf will be pardoned. It’s the foundation of government-by-fear-and-violence. Who will have the courage to stand up to him if it puts their families in danger? 

 I hope even those who voted for him are savvy enough Americans to recognize this clear threat to democracy and the Rule of Law, and to care enough to oppose it.

 What can you do? Stay up-to-date with a variety of reliable news sources. Support local and national newspapers, especially those with courage to speak truth to power. Summon your own courage to let elected representatives know what is unacceptable. Support representatives (and their families) who do not cave to bullying by the new administration and its many “flying monkeys” who intimidate on his behalf. Support state attorneys general and local officials who still observe the rule of law. And keep valuing our founders’ historically unique construction of a government of, by, and for the people.

 I’ll probably have more occasion to quote from my fall campaign’s warnings — next probably involving tariffs’ impact on farm markets.

 Tom Kuster

New Ulm